Goblin Precinct (Dragon Precinct) by Keith R. A. Decandido Page A

off, and the subsequent scandal with Sir Malik, was a terrible blow as well.”
    Grovis frowned. “I don’t understand.”
    “Part of the terms of the marriage was that the Cynnis family would invest in the bank. Obviously, with the family having moved to Iaron under a cloud of scandal, that was no longer possible.”
    “Oh dear.” Grovis frowned.
    “I’m sorry,” Dru said, “but what does that have to do with the security?”
    Again, Martel sighed, which he’d done so much that Hawk was now pretty sure he could enumerate everything the bank manager had eaten that day. “The security requires a monthly fee to be paid to the Brotherhood of Wizards for its use. The fee is considerable, but one that the bank could afford easily before the recent troubles. Now, however, in order to maintain customer satisfaction—”
    Dru chuckled. “You mean in order to be able to actually fulfill a withdrawal request?”
    Shaking his head, Hawk said, “See, this is why I ain’t trustin’ no bank with my money.”
    Martel was just looking sick now. “It was a temporary situation until Mr. Grovis was able to find more investors. Indeed, Lady Meerka informed Mr. Grovis that she would match the stipend that comes with being a member of the court, as long as he used it to reinvest in the bank so—”
    Dru held up a hand. “Okay, enough, we get it. No security, so these guys just waltzed in and took the money. We’ll need to talk to whoever was here.”
    Hawk looked around and saw Jared, one of the guards assigned to Dragon Precinct. “Jared, c’mere a minute.”
    “Yes, sir, Lieutenant,” Jared said as he approached, “what can I do for you?”
    “Find a kid from the youth squad, and get ’em to head to the castle to be bringin’ Boneen here.”
    Dru looked down at Hawk. “You crazy? Boneen’s only just back, he ain’t gonna—”
    Hawk regarded his partner right back. “You even listenin’? Lady Meerka’s gonna put her hard-earned gold coins into this here bank, and now it got robbed twice? We’ll be needin’ a peel-back, and damn fast.”
    With a sigh, Dru said, “Yeah, you’re right. Fine, let’s do that.”
    Jared nodded. “Right away, sir.”
    “All right, it’s prob’ly gonna be as useless as it was the last time, but let’s talk to some witnesses,” Dru said, “and see what we got until Boneen gets his bony ass down here.”
    The sun was setting by the time Boneen deigned to arrive. In that time, Hawk had interviewed nine people, all of whom had stories that varied even more than the ones he heard at Frannik’s.
    There was only one consistency in the testimony: everyone commented on how calm the thieves were. Hawk was surprised to hear that, and even more so, when he, Dru, and Grovis compared notes after interviewing all thirty people who were present in the bank at the time of the robbery.
    As Boneen waddled down Axe Lane to the entrance, Hawk smiled. “Good of you to be showin’ up, Boneen.”
    “It was, I assure you, not my first choice. In fact, I almost turned the young man who was sent to summon me into a newt simply to teach him a lesson for rudeness.” Boneen scowled. “However my incantation was interrupted by Sir Rommett, who insisted that I proceed immediately to Axe Lane to perform Inanimate Residue on a bank, the precise request made by the young man who came within a hairsbreadth of living his remaining years as a lizard.” He held out his hands, which were smudged with herbs. “So here I am. Please have your thugs remove all persons from the bank.”
    Martel stepped forward. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, as someone must be present when—”
    Hawk was looking forward to watching Boneen tear the bank manager apart, but Grovis stepped in, ruining his fun. “Than, I’m sorry, but the magickal examiner cannot cast his spell if there is anyone in the bank. You must evacuate it, and I mean now .”
    “Bank policy is that—”
    Grovis then did something Hawk had